Chargers Sign Courtney Hall for One Year : Second-Round Choice Hopes to Get Long-Term Deal Soon

Courtney Hall decided if he was to be the Charger center of the future, it was best the future begin as soon as possible.

So rather than sit out any longer while his agent and the Chargers haggled over a long-term deal, Hall opted Monday to sign a one-year contract with an option year and join the Chargers for their morning workout.

Hall, a rookie second-round selection from Rice, said he agreed to the one-year deal with an understanding that a long-term agreement will be worked on over the next few weeks.

“My agent (Marvin Demoff) and the Chargers were close enough that I could put enough trust in them to get everything ironed out while I’m in camp,” Hall said. “It was best not to squabble over a couple of dollars.”

That means Hall can go on trying to win the job at center against two veterans--Don Macek, who is coming off shoulder surgery, and Dennis McKnight, a starter at guard who was switched to center in minicamp in May.

“I know (the Chargers) are going to give me every chance to prove myself,” Hall said. “I know they are not going to play favorites.”

The agreement left the Chargers with two of their nine draft choices unsigned.

But indications are that progress is being made to sign both players--defensive end Burt Grossman, the first-round pick from Pittsburgh, and quarterback Billy Joe Tolliver, their second pick in the second round from Texas Tech.

Grossman said from Pittsburgh that his representatives will go to San Diego this week to begin face-to-face talks with the Chargers as early as Wednesday.

Grossman said he will be represented by his agent, Robert Jackson, and Gil Brandt, former Dallas Cowboys vice president.

Grossman recently switched to Jackson, a Cleveland lawyer, from Richard Woods, an agent whose clients include Bo Jackson. But Grossman said he broke from Woods about a month ago in a disagreement over insurance and other matters.

Grossman said he agreed last week to be represented by Jackson but because Jackson has not handled football contracts in the past, he decided to enlist Brandt as an adviser.

Grossman said his switch of agents delayed talks with the Chargers.

“There has been no problem with (Charger) management,” Grossman said. “It was just changing agents and getting so long to get a new one. Now, I hope to get this done by Thursday.”

Tolliver’s agent, Vic Vines, said progress has been made in talks with the Chargers in the past few days. But he said the signing of Hall, who was taken 14 picks ahead of Tolliver in the second round, will not provide a financial benchmark or affect his talks on Tolliver.

“We have said all along that Billy Joe Tolliver is a special case,” Vines said. “We believe that he should get more than Courtney Hall.”

Charger Notes

The Chargers also announced they signed Jamie Holland, their leading receiver and kick returner last season. Terms were not released. Last season, Holland caught 39 passes for 536 yards and one touchdown, and returned 31 kickoffs for 810 yards and one touchdown. That leaves the Chargers with 11 unsigned players--two rookies and nine veteran free agents. . . . Offensive tackle John Clay has reported after a one-day absence that Coach Dan Henning called a “miscommunication.” Clay, who was acquired in the deal that sent tackle Jim Lachey to the Raiders, is recovering from a neck injury that forced him on the injured reserve list after the third game. Clay has not been cleared to practice, but Henning said he was supposed to report Sunday for a physical examination. Henning, without placing blame, said there was a mix-up among the team, Clay and his agent, Steve Feldman, about when Clay should report. Henning said the miscommunication “was not acceptable and it will not happen that way anymore.” . . . To stay at the 80-player limit, the Chargers cut Mark Behning, a free-agent offensive tackle from Nebraska. Behning, a second-round draft pick by Pittsburgh in 1985, missed his rookie and 1987 seasons with injuries before he was let go by the Steelers during final 1988 roster cuts.